The two travellers Dante and Virgil are carried on the back of the monster Geryon from the Seventh to the Eighth Circle of Hell. The motif is taken from Dante’s great poem The Divine Comedy. With their yellowish grey colouring, the three figures at the centre of the drawing add brightness to the dark blue clouds. The ancient poet Virgil holds a protecting hand around Dante who is looking down into the flames as he hears the cries of suffering. Both Koch and Thorvaldsen turned to this motif several times – clearly inspired by each other.
